Howl (2010)

As Allen Ginsberg talks about his life and art, his most famous poem is illustrated in animation while the obscenity trial of the work is dramatized.

Directors:

Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

Writers:

Rob Epstein (written for the screen by), Jeffrey Friedman (written for the screen by)

Stars:

James Franco, Todd Rotondi, Jon Prescott

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Franco	...	Allen Ginsberg
Todd Rotondi	...	Jack Kerouac
Jon Prescott	...	Neal Cassady
Aaron Tveit	...	Peter Orlovsky
David Strathairn	...	Ralph McIntosh
Jon Hamm	...	Jake Ehrlich
Andrew Rogers	...	Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Bob Balaban	...	Judge Clayton Horn
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Gail Potter
Heather Klar	...	Jack's Girlfriend
Kaydence Frank	...	Allen's Girlfriend (as Kadance Frank)
Treat Williams	...	Mark Schorer
Joe Toronto	...	Sailor
Johary Ramos	...	Hustler
Nancy Spence	...	Neal's Girlfriend

Storyline

It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society's reaction (the obscenity trial), and animation that echoes the poem's surreal style. All three coalesce in hybrid that dramatizes the birth of a counterculture.

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Plot Keywords:

poem | trial | obscenity | interview | homosexuality | 

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Taglines:

The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked a Generation.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content including language and images, and for some drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 2010 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Uivo

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$51,185 (USA) (24 September 2010)

Gross:

$617,334 (USA) (4 February 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werc Werk Works, Telling Pictures, RabbitBandini Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Jake Ehrlich: The battle of censorship will not be finally settled by your honor's decision, but you will either add to liberal-educated thinking, or by your decision you will add fuel to the fire of ignorance. Let there be light. Let there be honesty. Let there be no running from non-existent destroyers of morals. Let there be honest understanding.

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Connections

Featured in Late Show with David Letterman: James Franco/Sofia Vergara/Shakira (2010)

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Soundtracks

"On the beat"
Written by Mel Young(I)

User Reviews

All talk, no howling

Howl is a great poem; Howl is a weak movie. If you want to be talked at for 90 minutes, then maybe you'll find it edifying, but to be honest, I found that this film took some really interesting people, a really interesting moment and a really important poem and turned them into words, words, words. I would have liked the portions in which Ginsberg reads the poem at the Six Gallery because I think James Franco does a pretty good job of getting Ginsberg's voice and cadences down as well as his gestures and body language. Never been much of a fan of Franco, but he does a good job here of paying homage to Ginsberg. Still, I can't get past his pretty boy looks which don't work even for the young Ginsberg. Similarly, the crowd of beats at the poetry reading look like they just popped out of a frat party. They don't look "beat." The courtroom scenes were poor; I am a great admirer of David Strathairn, but he has very little to work with here while Jon Hamm does a fine imitation of a block of wood. Jeff Daniels is laughable as a caricature of academia. The interview sequences include a lot of good material, but there's too much of it to be absorbed and the whole thing comes across as very static. The animations provided a creative way to incorporate the poem, but they didn't really dazzle. Ginsberg was a very interesting man who deserves much better.